How Many Air Holes in a 10-Gallon Plastic Container for My Worms Inside?

Give red worms oxygen, moisture, warmth, darkness and a steady supply of uncooked non-meat or dairy kitchen waste, and they produce nutrient-rich compost and liquid fertilizer. About 30 small holes drilled in the lid of a 10-gallon plastic container and a row of holes around the edge of the container supply all the fresh air compost worms need. Place the container in an area where the temperature is usually between 55 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and add food scraps cut into small pieces, burying them in the bedding to avoid attracting flies. Worms need grit to help them digest their food. Using sterile grit avoids introducing diseases and other pathogens to the worm-composting bin.

Plastic lid for a 10-gallon plastic container
1/16-inch drill bit
Drill
1/4-inch drill bit
Newspaper
1 tablespoon rock dust or oyster grit
Red worms
Cardboard
Plastic tray or lid
Bricks, pots or other items for support

Instructions

- 1
  Insert a 1/16-inch drill bit into a drill. Drill evenly spaced holes through the lid of a 10-gallon container. Drill holes around the top the 10-gallon container about 1 inch from the edge, spaced about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart.
- 2
  Insert a 1/4-inch drill bit into the drill. Drill 20 evenly spaced holes through the bottom of the container.
- 3
  Shred newspaper into 1-inch strips and soak them in water. Squeeze the strips out until they are about as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
- 4
  Spread a 3- to 4-inch-deep, loose layer of moist newspaper strips across the base of the container. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of rock dust or oyster grit over the newspaper.
- 5
  Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside the container. Moisten it with water. Add red worms to the newspaper bedding and lay the cardboard on top. Put the lid on the container.
- 6
  Place a plastic tray or inverted lid in a frost-free, well-ventilated area. Stand bricks, upturned pots or other items in the tray or lid, and place the container on top.

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